In certain networks, such as Ethernet networks employing the connectivity fault management (CFM) protocol (e.g., IEEE standard 802.1ag-2007), each CFM maintenance end-point (MEP) is generally required to maintain a static list of remote MEPs that are expected to be members of the same Maintenance Association (MA). This static list may then be crosschecked against a dynamic list of MEPs that are learned by receiving continuity check messages (CCMs, periodically exchanged among MEPs in an MA), for the purpose of identifying missing MEPs (e.g., devices of a service that are expected but unresponsive) and unexpected MEPs (e.g., devices not expected to be part of the service).
Requiring these static remote MEP lists, for normal CFM operation, poses two operational challenges for service providers. First, during service bring-up, or when sites are added/removed for an existing service, unnecessary alarms may be generated if the static lists are not updated simultaneously on all MEPs. Second, when devices (MEPs) are added or removed for an existing service, the service provider not only has to configure the affected device, but also has to update the configuration of all other (remote) MEPs for the service in question. That is, the service provider must update the remote MEP lists of every existing MEP in the network (for that service) with the newly added or removed MEP (e.g., its MEP ID).